Macron on April 25th: “Today’s Europe owes a lot to the courage of the captains of April”

The French President, Emmanuel Macron, praised this Wednesday the importance of the 25th of April revolution in the European democratic path, recalling that “today’s Europe owes a lot” to the courage of the then young “captains of April”.

“Tomorrow (Thursday), we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution. I would like to join our friends in Portugal, the Portuguese in France and all our compatriots of Portuguese origin to celebrate this anniversary, which is so important for democracy in Europe”, said the French head of state in a video released on the occasion of the 50 years of April 25th.

In the same message, the French President did not forget the young “captains of April” who “expressed the hope of an entire people in peace and democracy”. “They weren’t even thirty years old and they were already heroes. Today’s Europe owes a lot to his courage”, says Macron.

For the French head of state, the friendship between Portugal and France is reinforced to this day by the flow of citizens, since the dictatorship when many Portuguese sought a better life in France and to this day live between the two countries.

France is proud to have welcomed into its territory hundreds of thousands of Portuguese men and women in the 50s and 60s, exiled by poverty, the systematic violation of their rights, arbitrary and cruel political repression, and for refusing to participate in this system and in these unjust wars”, said the French President.

Currently, the two countries share “secular ties”, prepare the future of the European Union and defend the causes that determine the future, sharing “the same vision of a free, democratic and fair world”, defended the French President.

“We owe it to the memory of the ‘captains of April’ and to the Portuguese people who, fifty years ago, stood up against injustice and poverty and won the admiration of France, Europe and the world with a red carnation in their hand”, said Macron, ending his message with “April 25th, always! Long live Portugal! Thank you to Portugal!“.

In the video, Macron also listed some Portuguese personalities who fought for democracy, such as Maria Isabel Barreno, Maria Teresa Horta and Maria Velho da Costa, who fought for women’s rights, as well as Mário Soares, Álvaro Cunhal and Emídio Guerreiro, who took refuge in France before the revolution, having returned to Portugal after April 25, 1974.

“Macron sang Grândola, Vila Morena”, says Marcelo

The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, expressed satisfaction with the French Head of State’s statement.

“Beautiful. Amazing. I wasn’t expecting it, but I can’t forget that when I was with the French President in January 2020, because it was the end of the so-called cross seasons, culturally, between Portugal and France, which he himself asked the military orchestra that was there to sing Grândola Vila Morena, and he himself sang Grândola, Vila Morena, as did all the Portuguese and French who were there”.

“He was thrilled with the 25th of April. It was something that he says had a huge impact on him in his life. Being very young and not having been able to experience it well, he was left with this image. It’s not just solidarity with the Portuguese community, it’s really a deep-rooted thing”, he points out.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa adds that Macron wanted to come to Portugal for the celebrations, but for reasons of the French president’s schedule, this will not be possible.

The Head of State spoke to journalists at the end of the dinner commemorating the 25th of April, promoted by the 25th of April Association and in which the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, also participated, who did not make statements to the press.